Pedri follows in Iniesta’s footsteps as Barcelona’s new No.8
Pedri has been confirmed as Barcelona’s new No.8 for the 2022-23 season, with the teenage superstar taking the shirt made famous by club legend Andres Iniesta for the upcoming campaign.
The 19-year-old, who moved to the Blaugrana from Las Palmas in 2020, has enjoyed two superb seasons for the club even as they have struggled with a successful hunt for silverware during that spell, establishing himself as a mainstay at both domestic and international level for Spain.
That rich form has seen him rewarded with a bump up the pecking order for next term – and it will see him follow in the footsteps of Iniesta, as well as some other famous names at Camp Nou.
What was Pedri’s previous number at Barcelona?
The youngster was handed the No. 16 shirt in his first season with the club, as he arrived on the back of a dismal 2019-20 campaign that had seen the Blaugrana miss out on a trophy and suffer a legendary Champions League humiliation at the hands of Bayern Munich.
With the No. 8 shirt then occupied by Bosnia international Miralem Pjanic, Pedri was forced to fight for his spot, and did so, helping them to the 2021 Copa del Rey under Ronald Koeman.
Yet when Pjanic was loaned out to Besiktas, Pedri was still retained at No. 16, with No. 8 handed instead to the returning Dani Alves – but now, the latter has departed the club for a second time, finally allowing the teenager to move up to a starting number.
Who else has worn No. 8 at Barcelona?
A litany of major players have worn the coveted number for the Blaugrana, including Guillermo Amor, Hristo Stoichkov, Albert Celades and Phillip Cocu – plus former boss and now Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola, who occupied it for the 1993-94 campaign.
But it is Iniesta with which the shirt is most associated, with the Spain legend taking the shirt number in 2007-08 and holding it through to his departure to Vissel Kobe in 2018 – where he also wears No. 8.
During his time in the position, he arguably became the most feared midfielder in European and world football, and led Barcelona to a raft of major honours at home and abroad – though he famously wore No. 6 for Spain in the South Africa 2010 World Cup Final, with now-Barca manager Xavi instead sporting his number on the world stage.
